The former Mugs & Jugs and Town Tavern space will become available as two retail spaces later this year through Brian Beaulaurier, owner of Sequim McDonald’s. He bought the building about one-and-a-half years ago for additional parking. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Former tavern to become retail spaces

People love a mystery especially when it comes to incoming businesses.

As renovations began last October on the Sequim McDonald’s on 107 S. Seventh Ave., so did work on the building next door. Emails and calls began coming into the Gazette about what could be coming in. So we asked.

Formerly Town Tavern, Mugs and Jugs Bar & Grill, and lastly Fishermen’s Galley, the restaurant space at 735 W. Washington St. was sold to McDonald’s owner Brian Beaulaurier about one-and-a-half years ago, he said.

Beaulaurier said his initial intent was to add customer and employee parking for the franchise. Following the building remodel, which is set to finish early this year, he intends to lease the building for two businesses at about 2,200- and 1,700-square-feet.

“It could be for an insurance agent or attorney or knick-knack shop or anything that would need the frontage,” Beaulaurier said in an interview.

Vehicles can continue to access the lot while driving east on West Washington Street but will eventually need to access McDonald’s parking lot through a new access point to get back onto the street via South Seventh Avenue.

Beaulaurier said prior to McDonald’s renovation, he considered installing a second drive-thru kiosk but instead plans to keep it to just one for “the foreseeable future.”

Construction finished in December at McDonald’s with a grand opening held on Dec. 17.

This spring, Beaulaurier said he intends to replace the parking lot at McDonald’s when the weather gets better.

Beaulaurier and his wife Kathy purchased the Sequim McDonald’s in 1998 and at one point owned 14 locations under Peninsula McDonald’s Enterprises. They now own 10 of the franchises while two of his daughters own the other four locations.